Carbon Projects Quality Control Intern

South Pole is a global climate solutions company on a mission to accelerate the transition to a climate-smart society. Since 2006, we've turned climate action into real-world impact — developing and financing emission-reduction projects, advising organizations on their path to net zero, and building one of the world's largest portfolios of carbon and renewable energy projects.

From our roots as an ETH Zurich spin-off to teams across the globe, we work with Fortune 500 companies, governments, foundations and NGOs to tackle the climate challenge from every angle: carbon finance, renewable energy, sustainable land use, climate strategy and beyond.

Join us and help build a more sustainable future — one project, one partnership, one climate solution at a time.

The role

You will play a crucial role in supporting the integrity and credibility of nature-based carbon projects developed and managed by our organization. Working alongside the Director, Carbon Projects Risk, you will assist in developing quality control (QC) frameworks, supporting the integration of frameworks in our digital risk tool, and performing hands-on technical risk evaluations of carbon projects. This role offers the opportunity to gain direct experience in high-integrity carbon project assessment, helping shape portfolios that deliver real emissions reductions and positive impacts on local communities and biodiversity.

What you'll do

• Support the development, refinement, and standardization of quality control frameworks, risk matrix models, and evaluation checklists for nature-based carbon projects (e.g., ARR, IFM, REDD+).

• Assist in embedding quality control protocols and risk assessment methodologies into internal operational tools and platforms.

• Perform quality control assessments on carbon projects, analyzing baseline logic, growth models, carbon accounting, and GIS spatial data.

• Gather, compile, and cross-reference relevant project data - including Project Design Documents (PDDs), monitoring reports, validation and verification reports, spatial information,and field inventory reports - to identify risks related to permanence, carbon accounting, and additionality.

• Maintain accurate documentation of quality control findings, risk assessments, and technical recommendations.

• Collaborate with internal teams to communicate risk insights and support continuous process enhancements across the Risk team.

What we're looking for

• Currently pursuing or recently completed a degree in Forestry, Forest Engineering, Environmental Science, or a related field.

• Basic understanding of forest inventory, growth modeling, and carbon accounting standards (e.g., Verra/VCS, Gold Standard, CAR).

• Familiarity with GIS applications and remote sensing data.

• Strong analytical skills with high attention to detail when reviewing complex datasets.

• Effective written and verbal communication skills in English. A second language is considered a plus.

What we offer:

At South Pole, we care about our employees as much as we care about the planet. South Pole is not just an employer, we are a Team. South Pole does not just offer people a job, we offer you a career. By joining our team, you will find strong purpose and deep meaning in everything you do. You will have the chance to make a real difference for our clients and for the planet, working alongside a passionate team of like-minded colleagues, while building your knowledge/skills and developing your career in a fun, dynamic, international and fast-growing organisation.

We’re a planet of 7.5 billion unique and different people. We all have a contribution to make and South Pole is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status or disability. Our recruitment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.